my hope is they will do the right thing and that we will achieve a bipartisan consensus on deficit reduction and that trajectory of defense spending in the future. otherwise, we will weaken in this nation in the minds of our allies, partners, and our potential adversaries. and undermine the work and sacrifice is that our troops are making every single day. it is easy to get cynical and frustrated. after 40 years, i know my level of cynicism and frustration but my confidence and my hope for the future is restored every time i have the opportunity to visit with our troops on the front lines as i did last week. in them i see the spirit of public service that has kept this country strong for more than two centuries, which has helped us to overcome every period of crisis and diversity in our history. that spirit of public service is also evidence that this monument to democracy, the national press club, journalists who commit themselves to pursuing the truth and telling the everyday stories of american people, our public servants in their own right. my last trip, i was honored to be accompanied b